Ancient secrets and grudges bind the wealthy Eversea and Redmond families of Pennyroyal Green, Sussex, so when handsome, reckless, fatally charming black-sheep Colin Eversea, the youngest of the clan, is framed for killing a Redmond cousin in a London pub brawl and sentenced to hang, no one seems to think it's a coincidence that the only witness to the crime has disappeared. Then again, throughout history, Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: much to his own astonishment, Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.Inured to danger by life in the London rookeries, Madeleine Greenway considers Colin both a lightweight and a mission accomplished for a generous, anonymous employer. But, when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeleine dead, their mutual, desperate need for the truth makes them reluctant partners. Their race for answers takes them through a labyrinth of shocking secrets linking the lowest and highest of London society, and along the way Colin and Madeleine learn that what they think they wanted from life is something else altogether-a realization about as convenient as their incendiary attraction to each other.